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Vianney inspires faithful to virtue, priests’ commitment to ministry
By KARA KOCZUR, Globe staff reporter
(Email Kara)
In the aftermath of the French Revolution, there was no need for God, for faith or for the Catholic Church.
Still, a great saint emerged in the form of a humble parish priest in the tiny village of Ars, France, to lead the people back to truth.
Tormented by physical manifestations of the devil and ridiculed by the villagers, St. John Marie Vianney, with the help of God’s grace, became an instrument of conversion in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across France and the world.
Leonardo Defilippis, actor and film director for St Luke Productions, brought this patron of parish priests to life Jan. 18-23 in all six deaneries of the diocese with his one-man performance of Vianney. Performances were held at St. Joseph Church, Granville; St. Cecelia Church, Algona; Immaculate Conception Church, Cherokee; Briar Cliff University (Chapel of Our Lady of Grace), Sioux City; St. Lawrence Church, Carroll; and Corpus Christi Church, Fort Dodge.
“He made you think you were watching Vianney,” said Father Armand Bertrand, pastor at Immaculate Conception, Cherokee.
While the turnout at Immaculate Conception suffered due to the ice storm, he said, those who did attend were pleased with the performance. Father Bertrand described the artistic interpretations as “exquisite.”
Marybeth Brehany, a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City, brought three of her children, age 6, 10 and 13, to the performance at Briar Cliff. Brehany, who’s seen other St. Luke Production offerings, said it’s a treat to see Defilippis act.
Her favorite part of the performance was watching St. John Vianney struggle with humility, especially in the beginning as a seminarian where he was ridiculed and mocked by his younger peers for not being as smart.
The saint really had to give his all to stay on track and keep going.
“It makes me want to strive more for that virtue of humility, which is the basis of charity,” Brehany said.
Watching the encouraging role St. John Vianney’s mother played in his vocation was inspiring for Brehany, who has a son discerning a vocation and whose other children will also one day discern God’s will for their lives.
“It helped me to remember how very important a mother is in praying for her children and directing them in the proper way and allowing them to do God’s will in their lives,” she said.
The performance was especially interesting for her children, who venerated a relic of St. John Vianney at Blessed Sacrament as it was being passed from church to church. To go from a tiny relic to seeing the life of that man played out before them was a gift, Brehany said.
Father Thomas Topf, who also attended the Sioux City performance, wanted to experience the drama because he appreciates John Vianney very much, he said. He thought the acting was outstanding and was impressed with the lighting and music, as well as liked the appearance of St. Philomena as John’s guardian angel. The performance was “captivating,” he said.
The performance also struck a chord with him as a priest.
“I think it’s going to encourage us to push forward in difficult times and that conversion is always possible, as it was in Ars,” he said.
Priests today often struggle with temptation to discouragement, said Father Timothy Schott, pastor of St. Lawrence in Carroll, much like St. John Vianney did in his day. Society gives the impression that faith and Jesus Christ are irrelevant in this day and age, which can be disheartening for priests, he said.
“So, it was inspiring to me to see how [St. John Vianney] struggled with that all of his life and still maintained his commitment” to the priesthood, Father Schott said.
Father Ed Girres, pastor of St. Cecelia’s in Algona, found the life of St. John Vianney to be both inspiring and challenging.
“He was just so over the edge dedicated to his service as a priest, so I kind of felt scrutinized about that, but also inspired to be a better priest,” he said.
In this Year for Priests, Father Girres said it was good to focus on St. John Vianney, which was why, along with fact that St. Cecelia’s had the setting necessary for the play, he invited the drama to Algona.
With a Catholic school in town, the priest also thought it would be more accessible to the students. Grades four through 12, along with people from the wider community, filled the church for the performance.
Father Girres, who is currently reading a biography of the saint-priest, said the drama was an accurate depiction of St. John Vianney’s life.
“I think the play was really true to St. John and was a clear portrayal of the power of evil and Satan and [how St. John] fought that head on with goodness and God’s grace,” he said.
It was good for everyone to see, he added, including the students, of what happens when people let the power of evil go.
For Father Girres, who extends a thank you to Dr. John and Carol Wolpert for sponsoring the drama, the play reinforced the importance of the Mass as the central point of his faith life. In this Year for Priests, not only is he learning more about St. John, but the parish also placed a statue of the saint outside the rectory.
“Every time I drive in I am reminded to pray to him for help,” Father Girres said, adding that he has a smaller statue on his desk.
Connie Christensen, of St. Joseph’s in Granville, said the play looked like something she didn’t want to miss. She was impressed with St. John Vianney’s determination, and how he never gave up.
“I thought it was quite amazing what he did and it gave me a whole new insight into maybe a priest’s daily life,” Christensen said.
The drama helped her to appreciate priests more, she added, especially in this year dedicated to them.
Father Bertrand also deepened his appreciation for the sacrifices his brother priests make every day, he said.
“Of course we’re probably not dealing with phenomena that Vianney dealt with in terms of the devil physically fighting us, but sometimes it’s just as strong,” he said. “[The drama] was very, very moving.”
Check out other offerings from St. Luke Productions
For those who enjoyed “Vianney” by Leonardo Defilippis of St. Luke Productions, other dramas by this company are available through the Media Center. These can be requested through the Media Center web site at: www.mediacenter.scdiocese.org, through e-mail at Larrys@scdiocese.org, or by phone at (712) 233-7529.
John Of The Cross vc 12161 OR dv 61319
In Defilippis' depiction of Spain’s greatest poet, John is seen in his poverty-stricken childhood, and then as a young friar who becomes the leader of the reform of the Carmelites with Teresa of Avila. Imprisoned in a closet for nine months by his religious brothers, it is there that he composes much of his immortal poetry and enters into a mystical union with God. 60 minutes
Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz vc 11873 OR dv 61324
Leonardo Defilippis portrays the inspiring life and death of Saint Maximillian Kolbe, who in 1941 came forward to take the place of a married man condemned to death at the Auschwitz concentration camp. 75 minutes
The Passion According To Luke vc 11875 OR dv 61588
In a beautiful and honest dramatic performance taken directly from scripture, Defilippis reenacts the death and resurrection of Christ. 60 minutes
St. Francis: Troubadour Of God’s Peace vc 11065 OR dv 61591
This is an inspiring video drama that captures the spirit of St. Francis. Barefoot and clad in a ragged gray tunic, Leonardo Defilippis brings "the little poor man" of Assisi to life. 60 minutes
Therese: Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Soul dv 61207
Therese recounts the life of Therese of Lisieux, the most popular saint of modern times. A bourgeois girl from a Victorian French family, she entered the Carmel at age 15. Through the rigors of monastic life, she discovered a spiritual path she called the "little way." 96 minutes
Gift of Peace, The vc 11874 OR dv 61587
In this inspiring one-man performance, Leonardo Defilippis captures the life and powerful meaning of Christ's infancy and early ministry. 60 minutes